Since solar panel prices have dropped by 50% in the last five years, there is the question of whether you should go solar now or wait for the prices to drop even more. That depends on a number of things such as the size of your house, your average monthly PG&E bill, and how much sun your house receives. Luckily there is an online tool called Project Sunroof that you can use to see how much solar panels will cost and how much you’ll save depending on whether you lease or buy. The CEO of Solar City, Lyndon Rive, says that now is the time to invest in solar panels, and here’s why:

Electricity Prices Are Rising

Every year electricity prices rise by about 2.2% So the longer you wait, the more you’re paying each month through your PG&E bill.

Solar Panel Prices Won’t Drop Very Much

Even though solar panel prices have dropped by 50% in the last five years, doesn’t mean that it will do again in the next five years. Lyndon Rive predicts that solar panel prices will just 3% to 5% in the next five years. He says that you’re better off going solar now and experiencing these savings right away. Plus, it is good for the environment.

Federal Tax Incentives

Solar only provided .39% of the United States energy in 2015. But it is getting more and more popular each year. As it gets more popular federal government will likely take away the incentives because too many people are getting them. Right now you can get back 20% of what you paid for your solar panels, saving you thousands of dollars. The prices won’t go down enough to save you that much money, so you should take advantage of the incentives while they are still offered.

We all know that installing solar panels is expensive, but there are ways to help you. California offers a number of options such as a home equity loan, power purchase agreements, solar leases, and a solar investment tax credit.

Go Green Now

Solar panels are 100% pollution free! It is one of the cleanest sources of energy because it doesn’t emit any pollution when it is produced or consumed. Conventional electricity generation adds to carbon dioxide and other air pollutant emissions. Getting your energy from the sun will never run out, unlike fossil fuel resources, and it doesn’t require fossil fuel extract which damages the land.

Most people who choose not to get solar panels do so because of the high down payment cost. This down payment will pay off over time, but coming up with the large sum of money can be difficult. Fortunately, there are options for those of us who don’t have that chunk of money to spare. You have a couple of options to choose from to help you afford solar panels in California.

Home Equity Loans

This is a popular option for homeowners who went solar. A home equity loan is a type of loan where the borrower uses the equity of his or her home as collateral. This loan can then be used as the down payment for the solar panels. You can contact local providers to learn more about a home equity loan, although most solar contractors have partnerships with existing lenders.

Power Purchase Agreements

A power purchase agreement (PPA) is beneficial to the customer in that the solar system is owned and maintained by a third party, and they don’t have to pay a down payment. This third party sells the kilowatt-hours back to the customer, and the customer only pays for the energy their solar system generates.

Solar Leases

By leasing a solar system, customers can get the benefit of owning a solar system without the initial cost. The system is rented through a solar company so they still get the energy savings. This is a good option for people who plan on staying at their home for 5 years or less.

Solar Investment Tax Credit

Once the solar system is purchased you can qualify for the solar investment tax credit (ITC). The solar ITC offers a federal investment tax credit for both residential and commercial consumers. Residential customers will get back 30% of what they paid for the solar system.

As we all know, Central Valley summers can be unbearably hot, and running the air conditioning is expensive. If running the AC isn’t in your budget this year, here a few ways to stay cool this summer.

Plan Time Inside

Even if you don’t have AC, there are public places you can go to stay cool. The City of Fresno activates cooling centers when temperature are 105 degrees or above. Call the city’s One-Call Center at (559) 621-2489 to find the Cooling Center closest to you. Transportation to Cooling Centers is free on the city’s FAX bus system. Just tell the bus driver which cooling center you’re traveling to. You could also stay cool by studying at the library, going to the mall, or seeing a movie.

Stay in the Shade

If you are spending a lot of time outside, make sure you’re staying in the shade as often as possible. Stop under a tree for a while or carry an umbrella with you.

Go Up to the Mountains

Kings Canyon National Park and Shaver Lake tend to be about 20 degrees cooler than the valley. On really hot days, plan to spend the day in the mountains. There are several lakes you can swim in to keep cool including Hume, Shaver, Huntington, Millerton and Pine Flat.

Stay Hydrated

On really hot days, drink water every 15 minutes. It sounds excessive, but drinking 6 to 12 ounces of water every 15 minutes will not only keep you hydrated, but it will also help keep you cool.

Go Easy in the Heat

If you play outdoor summer sports then be sure to know your limits. It’s very easy to suffer from heat stroke when exercising on really hot days. When you’ve exercised in the heat, be sure to give your body time to rest afterwards and cool down.

Wear the Right Clothing

Dark clothes tend to trap in heat while light clothes reflect the sun away from your body. Wear loose clothing and a hat to protect your head from the sun. Wear breathable fabrics like linen, cotton, or silk to stay cool.

Visit Water Parks

Fresno has free splash parks throughout the city. They include Todd Beamer Park at Maple and Plymouth; Historic Dickey Park at Blackstone and Divisadero; and Figarden Loop Park Water Play Area on Figarden Drive just west of Brawley. Island Waterpark and Wild Waters Adventure Park have entrance fees but are fun ways to stay cool.

The summer months in the central valley can be brutal. While it may be tempting to lower the temperature on your thermostat, there are more efficient ways to make it cooler in your house and save electricity. Here are a few ways to save energy and money over the hot summer months.

Use Your Windows

Once it cools down to below 80 degrees outside, you can open your windows to let the cooler air into your house. Leaving the windows open all night will lower the temperature of your home significantly without using any electricity. When you wake up in the morning close your windows and blinds to trap the cool air in your house. This will prevent the air conditioning from turning on at an earlier hour, saving you money.

Turn Up the Thermostat

This is the best way you can save energy. Raise your thermostat to 78 degrees or higher when you’re at home and 85 degrees when you’re out of town. Keep the air vents clear of furniture or anything else that can block the air from getting into your house.

Join the Fan Club

Fans are your best friend during the summer. They can make your house feel 4 degrees cooler just by moving the air around. It’s a low cost way to feel comfortable on those hot days. Installing a whole house fan is another way to get the cool night time air into your home quickly.

Clean Your Vents & Filters

Make sure your vents are clean to allow maximum efficiency of your air conditioning. Your air conditioning filter should work well enough to filter out dust but still let the most air possible through. These are generally the cheaper filters as they are not as thick as the more expensive ones.

Use Your Appliances Wisely

Using your oven to cook in the evenings can significantly raise the temperature of your home, causing you to blast the AC. Cook outdoors on an outdoor grill instead of the oven so you don’t raise the temperature indoors.
Do your laundry efficiently by using cold water to wash and rinse. Line dry when you can, and when you need to use the dryer, use the moisture-sensing setting so you’re not over drying your clothes and costing you more money.
Conserve energy by using your dishwasher only when it is fully loaded. Have your dishes air-dry instead of using the heat dry setting.

Unplug Electronics

Unplug electronics such as chargers, TVs, and blu-ray/DVD players when not in use to save electricity. Even when things are plugged in they use a small amount of energy that can add up quickly. To make it easier, put your electronics on power strips so all you have to do is turn off the power strip.

Lower Your Water Heater Temperature

You can cut costs by lowering your water heater temperature to a warm 120 degrees. Water heating accounts for about 18 percent of energy usage in your home.

Since California is in a severe drought, it is important to conserve water, especially in the spring and summer. Fresno has it’s regulations with only two lawn waterings per week. Even with these regulations, more water can be saved through simple steps. Here are a few of them:

Use the Dishwasher

While it may seem like you’re saving water by hand washing those dishes, it is actually using an average of 27 gallons of water as opposed to 3 gallons of water with the dishwasher. To have the maximum amount of water savings, scrape the food off of plates instead of rinsing and let the dishwasher do the job.

Check for Leaks

To check your toilet for leaks, put a few drops of dye or a dye tablet in your toilet tank. If the color shows up in the bowl then your toilet is leaking. Check all the faucets in the house for drip leaks. A faucet leaking one drop per second wastes about 2,700 gallons of water per year. Leaks never heal themselves so get them fixed right away.

Shorten Your Showers

Shortening your shower by just two minutes every day can save up to 1,750 gallons of water per person in your household each year. Another way to save water is to put a bucket under the water while your shower is warming up and use the excess water to water your plants.

Use Mulch

By putting mulch down around your landscaping, it creates a barrier from the hot sun to the soil. It maximizes the efforts of you watering, making the soil retain its moisture for much longer.

Set the Timer

When watering your lawn, it’s important to have your sprinklers on a timer. Water evaporates very quickly in the heat of the day so it is best to water your lawn in the early mornings when it is still cool. You can water your lawn at night but there’s is a chance that fungus and mildew will grow as a result.

Redo Your Landscape

Redo your landscape with native plants because they are equipped to handle the region’s normal level of rainfall. During the summer you won’t have to water as much as you would with non-native plants.

There are a number of things that get checked when your building is audited for energy usage. While an audit may sound bad, it is actually very helpful in finding ways to make your building energy efficient and in the end saving you money. Here are the things that Highlands Energy will check for you:

Eighty percent of all inspections done by Highlands Energy find outdated windows. Outdated windows can cost you a lot of money because they let in too much heat or too much cold causing the heat and AC to run too often. Changing outdated windows will make your building more energy efficient. There are two types of energy efficient windows: dual-panes and low-E coatings. Dual pane windows consist of two panes of glass with an air or gas chamber in between them. The chamber acts as a buffer against temperature changes and to reduce noise. Low-E coated windows block out infrared light out in order to keep the heat out in the summer and to hold the heat in during the winter. They also block harmful UV rays, which can cause furniture and carpets to fade.

There are a number of ways that your HVAC system could be running inefficiently. A leaking vent or duct can cause heated or cooled air to make its way outside, instead of indoors as intended. Properly sealing your vents and air ducts with butyl tape or mastic will drastically improve energy efficiency.

Manual thermostats can cause problems if you are constantly trying to get the HVAC system to work harder for the temperature you want. It is better to have a programmable thermostat so that the heating and cooling is consistent and only being used when you need it.

It is important to have routine cleanings and replacements of air filters in order to maintain efficiency. By keeping your equipment maintained you can increase efficiency up to 15 percent. Old systems tend to be not as efficient as the newer ones and may need to be replaced. Seventy-two percent of all inspections on HVAC systems show inefficiencies.

There are risks and hazards associated with improper ventilation of gas appliances like carbon monoxide and fire hazards. Carbon monoxide can occur when fuel is incompletely burned and an improperly ventilated gas appliance leaks the toxic gas. Since carbon monoxide is colorless it often goes unnoticed until a test is done or an illness or death occurs. Gas leaks also pose as a fire hazard when exposed to an open flame, like a pilot light. Thirty-four percent of all inspections find problems with gas appliance ventilation, 50 percent find gas leaks, and 30 percent find fixable carbon monoxide issues.

Buildings constructed prior to 1978 may contain paint with lead additives. It was added to quicken the drying process, repel moisture, and increase durability. But since then, lead has been found to be a hazardous material and can cause many health issues, such as nervous system damage, kidney growth, and reproductive issues. If a building has lead based paint it is vital that it is removed properly. Improper removal can cause more issues such as lead dust filling the air which can damage the respiratory system. It is best to leave lead paint removal to trained professionals. Sixty-seven percent of all inspections find lead paint issues.

While mold is more common in areas that have high humidity, it can still be found as a result of roof leaks and plumbing issues. Over time mold can cause structural damage to walls, insulation, and other parts of your building. Mold can also cause health issues such as respiratory illnesses, allergic reactions, migraines, fatigue, and asthma. Mildew, while not as dangerous as mold, is still be a serious problem that should be taken care of. Inhaling mildew spores can cause headaches, coughs, and sore throat. Thirty-six percent of all inspections find untreated mold and mildew issues.

Asbestos was once a highly sought after material because of its fire resistant and insulating properties. It is now found to be a health risk when the fibers become airborne, entering the respiratory system. A few of the illnesses associated with asbestos exposure are asbestosis, a chronic lung disease that causes scarring of the lung tissue, and mesothelioma lung cancer. Sixty percent of all inspections in buildings built prior to 1975 find untreated asbestos related issues.

Energy audits can help you save money and ensure you and your employees’ safety. Highlands Energy will do a free comprehensive efficiency and safety audit for your building.

The U.S. solar industry is growing rapidly. It has some of the best solar energy resource potential in the world. If each of the more than 72,000 schools in the U.S were to install an average size solar panels system, then the amount of energy would be equal to more than one-third of all the solar capacity currently installed in the United States. The flat roofs of schools are a great place to install solar panels. Some schools have even created covered parking with solar panels on top, which serves as a double benefit: clean energy and shade on hot days, which is a must in Fresno County.

Why Have Your School Go Solar?

There are a number of reasons to have your school go solar. Here are some of the top reasons.

Save Money

Installing solar panels can reduce your school’s electricity bill significantly. With electricity rates rising every year, solar panels are a good investment that will pay themselves off in the years to come. Porterville Unified School District of the Central Valley installed solar panels in 6 of their schools. They expect to lower energy costs by $44 million in the next 25 years.

Create Educational Opportunities

By going solar, the school is creating a student body that is energy and sustainability conscious. It’s important for students to be aware of the environmental challenges we face this century so that they can work to make a difference in the future. With solar panel systems, students are able to see first hand how sunlight is converted in electricity. The effects of solar installations can be integrated into math, science, and technology programs in order to better test scores.

Help Our Planet

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), generating electricity contributes over one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Solar power is a renewable energy, is free from the sun, and it will never run out, unlike fossil-fuel burning sources. Switching to solar energy is one the greatest contributions a school can make to curb global warming. With rising concerns about our carbon footprint and the increasing cost of energy, solar is a wise investment for the health of the environment and generations to come.

Do you ever wonder where the power comes from when you flip on a switch? The answer may surprise you.

In 2015, renewable energy in the U.S. accounted for 11.1 percent of total energy generation. The Central Valley is well beyond the U.S. average. Today, nearly 30 percent of the energy that comes into your home is from a clean and renewable energy resource. Renewable energy resources are power from the sun, the wind, water, and even wood and dairy waste.

In California, investor owned utilities – like PG&E – are required by law to increase purchases of renewable energy to 33 percent by the end of 2020. A new law signed by Governor Jerry Brown boosts that goal to 50 percent by 2030. The commitment goes beyond the state as there are at least 215,000 residential solar customers in the Central Valley.

Hydroelectric power is currently the largest producer of renewable power in the U.S. It produced 6.14 percent of the nation’s total electricity in 2015 which was 45.71 percent of the total renewable power in the U.S. The United States is the fourth largest producer of hydroelectricity in the world after China, Canada and Brazil. United States wind power supplies 4.1 percent of the nation’s electricity. California provides the third most wind power in the U.S. behind Texas and Iowa. Several solar thermal power stations have been built in the United States as well.

A comprehensive study done by the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) shows that the U.S. can generate most of its electricity from renewable energy by 2050. The Renewable Electricity Futures Study found that it’s possible to have 80 percent of the U.S. energy to come from renewable energy resources through the current technologies, including wind turbines, solar panels, concentrating solar power, biopower, geothermal, and hydropower.
If the U.S. is able to ramp up their renewable energy generation then it will provide significant benefits. It could dramatically reduce global warming emissions, improve public health, and provide jobs and other economic benefits.

About the Energy Savings Assistance Program

The Energy Savings Assistance Program is funded by the California Public Utilities Commission. It provides no-cost weatherization, home repair, and appliance upgrade services to qualified home owners and renters who have an account with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), So Cal Gas (SCG), or San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE). Qualified customers can receive: Attic Insulation, Refrigerator Replacement, Microwave, Room A/C, Furnace Repair/Replacement, Water Heater Repair/Replacement and other upgrades and repairs. Eligible Customers are also enrolled into the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) program, which will add an additional 20-30% discount on their monthly bill.

How Do You Know if You Qualify?

Not everyone can qualify for the energy savings assistance program because it is based on your yearly income and how many people are living in your household. The table below will help you determine whether you are eligible.

Number of Persons in Household

Total Gross Annual Household Income

1-2

$31,860 or less

3

$40,180 or less

4

$48,500 or less

5

$56,820 or less

6

$65,140 or less

7

$73,460 or less

8

$81,780 or less

9

$90,100 or less

10

$98,420 or less

Each Additional Person Add

$8,320

Apply Through Highlands Energy

Once your application has been reviewed, an energy specialist will contact you to schedule an assessment of your home. During the visit, the specialist will determine if your home qualifies for the program and, if so, the improvements to be made. At this time, you will also need to provide proof of household income.

Highlands Energy is an authorized Energy Savings Assistance Program contractor and since 1985, over 160,000 Central Valley homes have received FREE weatherization and home repair services that amounts to over $6 million in annual savings.

Fresno is a sunny place. It gets a lot a sun in the summer and very good amounts in spring and fall. Winter can be a bit cloudy, but the sun manages to make its way through pretty often. The average number of sunny days in Fresno is 267 days. With all this sun, Fresno is a great place to invest in solar panels.

Are Solar Panels Right For You?

The decision to get solar panels depends on a number of things.

First of all, the position of your house is a factor. In the Northern Hemisphere, solar panels should generally be position true south. Not all houses are positioned in a way to allow that. Solar panels can be placed east or west, but they won’t be as efficient.

Another factor is that there may be too much shade surrounding your home. Sometimes it’s an easy fix like cutting back a branch of a tree, but if there’s a building in the way, there’s nothing you can do about it. If your neighbor’s tree is blocking the sun from your solar panels, then you can rely on the Solar Bill of Rights which allows you to cut down your neighbor’s tree. But priority usually goes to whichever was there first, the tree or the solar panels.

Do you have the space? Solar panels take up space. Typically they are placed on the roof of your home or business, but they can be placed in the backyard as well. This is something you would need to discuss with your solar panels installer.

The initial cost of solar panels can be high, so something that needs to be considered is how long you’ll be living in your current home. You wouldn’t install solar panels and sell your home in a year. You would need to stay at your current home for years to come.

Financing

Investing in solar panels is like investing in stock, it gets you a financial return. Except with solar panels, your return can be precisely calculated, which means little or no risk. While solar panels can be pricey at first, there are ways to help. Some of the types of financing include low interest loans, tax credits, grants, and rebates. All US residents can collect a 30 percent tax credit for installing solar panels through the end of 2016, but this incentive will no longer be in effect after this year. With all of the federal, state, and local incentives to invest in solar panels, the market has been booming. But as the the market for solar panels matures, the incentives will go away. With the cost of solar plummeting the past few years, now is the time to buy. Investing is solar panels is the best way to save money on energy costs. You don’t have to rely on an energy company for your energy needs because you can harvest your own energy from the sun, and Fresno is a great place to do that.